Loose Lips Sinks Ships
by missingthecat
Summary: Which ship has sailed? Which direction did it go? For mature readers, RxG
1. Homecoming

* * *

Ryan was wearing a new hat and it was white, it matched to the uniform that he was wearing. He partly felt like Elvis, crooner, mover, shaker, off to war. It was the least

expected move for an Evans, but at the same time, for Ryan, it was the only one that he could come to a conclusion for. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he laughed wryly

that he now had a reason to be consistently wearing a hat outside. The irony was in the fact that he was the least expected to take the Naval science classes, the engineering

classes, drilling on weekends… he remembered Sharpay's laughter when struggling which letter went left to right to make words. He survived East High. He survived university.

He survived Rotten Groton. Hell, he wasn't just Navy, Ryan was a submariner. The dress blues were crisp, his first ribbon pinned on. What was even crazier was the fact he

passed a stringent placing, after tonight's "Welcome Home" party, he had a week before he was to ship out to earn his dolphins. Submarines were great places to sing. But long

ways from home, from friends, in a tin can, under the sea… Not only was he incommunicado, he couldn't discuss his job beyond his studies, submariners stood fast to the old

adage, "Loose Lips Sinks Ships."

* * *

He felt shaky; his mother stopped calling him "Ducky." She blamed the uniform, the shiny shoes, the gold buttons on the span of spun navy blue. Ryan shook his head as he 

became whimsical again…he started to hum, "I feel pretty," the silliness of a Navy man singing "I feel pretty, oh so pretty," eased his mind on that the next seven years of his life

belonged to United States Government. Where his Iron Woman patrolled undisclosed, but he would be able to keep studying, keep singing, and he thought again on how great

a sub echoed the melodies. Sharpay paused on the landing as she watched her younger brother step from his room. He looked dashing, he looked older, and sadly, he no longer

looked like her twin to her. Ryan looked much like their father, the shortened hair, and the widened shoulders from weekends of drills. Even his voice singing the ditty was

deeper. She felt like a little girl paused in time as her baby twin brother grew up. She too went off to college, liberal arts major of course, her psychology classes unknown on

the side. Performing was her life, so she decided to try New York, with her parents support, it would still be hard, but living the past five years without Ryan, she was home for

the week before he shipped off. Ryan laughed out loud at his sister when she interrupted his song with a song she took time to learn. "Farewell to college joys, we sail at break

of day-ay-ay-ay."

* * *

"Hey Shar! You're home!" 

"Of course Ry, couldn't let you sail away without a proper "Don't break a leg!""

The twins hugged, then they laughed as Ryan's hat tumbled from its not so secure spot under his arm. It bounced down the stairs. Sharpay was still laughing; after all, one never

expected a hat to roll completely on its side down steps better than a slinky. She didn't recognize the slight stiffening of Ryan's body, or his fading laugh as he realized that

Gabriella Montez was the one to stop the hat's journey. She looked stunning to him, or was he still stunned from the first time he saw her in Ms. Darbus' homeroom? Her hair

was long again, still wavy, but her eyes were still darker, lined with those dark lashes. She still looked stunning in Wildcat Red. He paused, but tugged his laughing sister with him

down the stairs. Sharpay let go of his arm when she realized that Gabriella was there. He watched as they greeted one another cheerfully, the primos of East High, one fair, one

dark. Sure, it was rough going their junior year, hell, even the summer after. Ryan shook his head to let loose of the memories. Senior year was better. Sharpay was Queen of

the Fall Formal, Gabriella was Queen at the Spring Jubilee, but the two, well, and Sharpay worked at making sure their senior year was great.

* * *

Ryan looked around the front room as the guests were mingling before dinner. He saw Gabriella's former other half still standing with his basketball clique. Taylor was standing

with Chad, Zeke gave Ryan a small wave. Ryan waved back, and then turned to face Gabriella. She gave him a smile, in the past, she would giggle, but she couldn't let one

bubble out of her. She finally understood what her mother meant by a "man-in-uniform like her daddy was." Sure, they sent emails back and forth, even posted pictures on their

group chat spaces. Pictures did no justice to a man-in-uniform, especially of a friend you never expected to see wearing one. She handed his hat back to him, and shyly gave

him a hug hello. Ryan felt her hug and felt joy, and then felt that joy go into distaste as he watched Troy cross the room. As soon as the two of them were finished hugging, he

watched Troy place his hands at Gabriella's back while reaching out to shake his hand. He was upset, he didn't notice what Sharpay did, which was Gabriella stepping away

from Troy. She may not have stepped closer to Ryan, but it was away from Troy.

* * *

Sharpay was angry at Troy. For herself, Gabriella, and Ryan. It was obvious Ryan would never step over any line, long erased or not. Sure she like the basketball phenom back

in high school, Sharpay even went to a college game a time or two. She went to watch Zeke of course, but with Troy at UA, Gabriella at Stanford, Shar watched Troy take

other girls to the parties, disappear upstairs, come down rumpled. She regretted not talking straight with the new girl sooner. If she didn't see it with her own eyes, she would

have never believed it. With Troy's last trip home, he had become even more arrogant than ever, being a young assistant defense coach at University of Albuquerque. He rolled

home more than Gabriella did, but he didn't seem to realize that her studies didn't take drive them apart; it was Troy's whispered actions that did.

* * *

Gabriella hated the talk. However, her senior class at East High was small, close, and whispers was all she heard the last three years. Sure, they still called her the new girl, or

the singing math whiz, but mathematics was her passion. Troy's explanations and the whispers never added up, but the variables of the rumors outweighed his talk. The pictures

of that last girl on the senior chat page didn't help, Troy drinking, his stripping, and goodness know what else was blurred.

Sure, there was being young. Being happy, having fun. But pissed drunk then telling your girl it didn't happen. Stupid.

Gabriella stepped back further from the boys, rather, men, and felt Sharpay hook her arm with hers walking her away from a tense situation. Taylor left Chad's side, and the

girls made their way up the stairs with only their heels making sounds on the steps. Ex-boyfriends were exes for a reason, and women had to stick together.

* * *

Ryan was still shaking hands with Troy as he watched out of the side of his eye as Gabriella moved away. Troy's handshake was firm as it ought to be, but Ryan couldn't keep

the clammy feeling of it out of his mind. "What a righteous bastard," Ryan thought, as he smiled and made small talk.

* * *

Troy Bolton wasn't friendly with Ryan. They were still acquaintances after all this time of living in the same town. Sure he could sing, dance, but the Navy? What kind of idiot

would sign his life away like that, to be under the thumb of the feds. Troy couldn't trust anyone who didn't follow their life's passion into adulthood. Nor could he forget that

image from six summers ago when he saw Ryan kiss Gabriella's hand. It was a small moment, a moment nothing was built on, or hidden, but for a man to tread on another

man's territory, mitts were off. By the time the genial questions of "How are you," and "What have you been doing" were asked, both men noticed that the girls made their way

back down the stairs. The large crowd of guests, former classmates noticed the three beautiful girls in white, red, and blue, all in honor of one Ensign Ryan Evans. With the

murmurs of the crowd stopping, Sharpay took the moment of their attention to make the announcement of her brother's achievement.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentleman," she curtsied, "We have a 'Welcome Home' for my dearest younger brother, Ensign Ryan Evans!" The crowd roared with approval and a generous

ovation. Ryan felt a bit flushed with the approval not readily given in the Navy. Sharpay's voice arose once more as another banner unfurled beside the first one. "Aaanndddd

also, a "Don't Break-a-Leg/Bon Voyage!" The crowd laughed and clapped again, Mrs. Evans made her way to where the girls were standing. "Now, before we celebrate and

reminisce, let's have dinner, shall we?" Members of the crowd filed toward the outdoor patio, where the arbors where set for a buffet, the music of the band starting the first

appetizer course.

* * *

Zeke came and collected Sharpay, Taylor slipped her hand into Chad's. Ryan was left standing a step beneath Gabriella, the hairs of his neck rising. He could feel the tension

that was radiating off of her, so instead of asking verbal permission to escort her to dinner, he took her hand, and tucked it into his elbow. He was the mirror image of his twin,

being left-handed, but also following regulations leaving his right-hand, his sword hand free. That was part of why he loved the Navy, the regulations, the etiquette, not to

mention the hat that came with the uniform.

* * *

They joined the middle of the crowd, and surged to the head of the line together, after all, Ryan was the man of the hour. Neither of them saw Troy's face as they walked away. 


	2. Engagement

After the picture taking, the smiles, the laughter and the drinks, the evening waned on, soon, it was just a few Wildcats left in the basement spilling how much time changed

everything. It was a motley crew if you weren't from East High.Former basketball teammates, the drama club, and the math club, all together in one room. Better yet, they

were"friendly" with one another, even years including college, jobs, living in different cities spanning the country.

* * *

Ryan had another hat covering his eyes; he lounged, silently agreeing to himself that being buzzed had its merits. Some of the exhaustion of the last months left his body sagging 

on the chair, he was home, he could feel his dad's pat on theback, smell his mother's perfume, his ears vibrated with Sharpay's joie de vie. His eyes hidden by shadows finally

ested on Gabriella. He dated other girls, a few blonde, mostly they were dark haired like her, with dark eyes. None seemed to match her twinkle though.

She looked tired, or rather, a bit stressed around her eyes. He watched Troy being carrion circling her, but even now, he still couldn't step up. He felt a flush of shame creep

across his face; he took another draught of his beer. Gabriella was still beautiful. He wanted to head to her Stanford graduation, but with his schooling, his lack of time off, he

wasn't able to. Idiot he was, he even only sent yellow roses on her achievement. Math was still her thing, but to as what she was doing now, he didn't even know. Ryan pulled

his cell phone out of his pocket, tapped a few keys, hit send. He stood up, stretched, and quietly crept up the stairs to the kitchen.

* * *

Gabriella was drained. She just finished packing up her apartment in California, dragged her stuff to Seattle, came home for the meet-up to see the gang, pack up more stuff, and 

besides transitioning to her new position, plus feeling older, she had to feel Troy grope her every damn five minutes. In high school it was a wonderful feeling to have curves

appreciated, in college even better to have them aroused, but now, with Troy, sure the boy had game hands; it was just too bad he played more than one ball at a time. She still

felt pissed off at him, and probably always will, but damn, he still look good. She looked down at her hands as she stepped away from Troy again, making steps toward the

jukebox in the corner. She kept playing music in the hopes that it would keep Sharpay from revving up the karaoke machine. Only Sharpay Evans would have a karaoke

recording of every musical she ever starred in. At least Zeke and Shar hadn't seen each other in awhile, so that helped. Of all the floating couples in the room, it seemed only she

and Troy hadn't held strong. She looked around and noticed Ryan was gone. Even he had remained steady flitting from girl to girl oncehe hit down on his studies. She once

made a joke on how he was always going for darker beauties, he just responded that he spent most his life controlled by blondes, and there was no baggage with brunettes.

* * *

Gabriella paused looking at the songs as she felt Troy press up against her, yet again, she began to sigh. 

She was tired of this every time she came home to Albuquerque, how he believed she was his the moment she stepped within fifty feet of him. Her back pocket chirruped at her,

"Thank God for Jason," she whispered to herself, and stepped aside from Troy. "And thank goodness for Kelsi too," as that couple and the others spent the evening sending

messages to her in the act of her job calling for her attention. She looked down at the tiny screen, Gabriella found herself looking at a Washington area code. Slightly surprised,

she didn't know the number, but it might actually be work. Gabriella excused herself from the gang, and went up the stairs to the kitchen so she could read the text and give the

caller a ring back. As she went up the stairs, Sharpay cried out for her to ask the staff to send another round of drinks and appetizers down. Gabriella waved her hand in

acknowledgment as she used her other to unblock the incoming message to read it.

* * *

Chad watched her walk away and wondered what happened to the Troy and Gabriella of their junior year. He knew that the last year or so Troy was indeed an ass, but 

Gabriella was still Troy's first love. There had to be something there still, Taylor would have his balls if she knew he was thinking of how to get the two back together again. He

stepped up to his brother and as usual, the talk turned to basketball and other myriad of sports that had weekend highlights. As he talked with Troy, he kept glancing at Taylor,

and once again, his back pocket was heavy.

He looked at Troy, and pulled him back to the jukebox to look at the music. "Hey Bro," Chad whispered, "I am going to ask her tonight."

Troy felt his back stiffen. Taylor supported Chad all these years, and he admitted it, there was a devotion Chad had to Taylor that surpassed his love of sports. Marriage

though? Were they even old enough to marry? They just finished college, barely out of school for a couple of years, and Chad wanted to be settled? Chad felt the quiet stiffness

under the music. "It's now or never, and I can live with never."Troy looked at Chad and lifted his beer to him. "Well, it will be never if you get married, never to party, never to

club, never to be just you."

Chad felt a bit surprised at the blasé Troy presented. "You're right, Troy, it will never be just me again."

In that moment Chad realized that was why Troy and Gabriella were really over. Troy found himself with her, but he never would let it be just him and her, he wanted only just

him these days. The music went on, the bodies were still swaying, the girls gossiping, hands keeping warm, but Chad's heart felt a bit empty after realizing Troy was indeed an

ass.

* * *

Upstairs in the kitchen, Ryan's head was immersed in the kitchen sink. The cold water was running and his hands were gripping a towel when Gabriella found herself standing in 

the doorway. "Excuse me."

She started to back away, but Ryan hit his head on the faucet in surprise, droplets went everywhere. She held her phone up in her hand. "I was just looking for somewhere quiet

to make a phone call."

Ryan answered, "Go ahead and call from in here, I'll be quiet, I promise." He toweled his hair, and stepped toward the refrigerator. Gabriella leaned her back against the

counter, and listened to the other phone ring. Her text message just had a number to call back. As it rang, she was disoriented by the fact Ryan's phone was ringing, and it was

causing a weird feedback. She listened, and then made a small sound of surprise as her phone made connection to the voicemail box of Ryan Evans.

Ryan grinned at her as he pulled out what only could be a Zeke confection. "Chad is asking Taylor to marry him tonight; I needed help with the celebratory stuff." She laughed at

his bunny ears around "celebratory." "Plus, I wanted to make sure that you have my new number."

"Ryan," she asked as she gathered a tray with glasses. "Are you moving to the Seattle area?"

He looked up at her after he placed the cake on another tray. "How did you guess?"

"Did you not notice what my new area code is?"

He pulled out his phone and took a look at the number he sent his last message to. Heat crept up the back of his neck, even the tips of his ears felt warm. Then he laughed.

"What are you doing in Seattle?"

"What are you doing in Seattle?"

"Well, I joined the Intelligence Agency for Defense," she answered.

Ryan looked at her. She was small, petite, but had a hell of a brain. "My first duty station is out of the Kitsap area, but my phone company gave me a Seattle area code." His

hands shook as he looked in the wine cooler for the champagne. He decided to switch back to Chad and Taylor, safe subject. "Chad wanted to ask Taylor tonight since we

will all be here together, they go to Cancun for a weekend getaway this Saturday, and Taylor thinks he is asking her then."

Gabriella looked at Ryan sorting out the surprise. Glancing at the cake she thought she saw earlier, instead of "Congratulations Ensign Evans," this one read, "Marry Chad,

Taylor, say 'Yes!'" She raised an eyebrow at Ryan. As he hefted the tray he answered her, "Zeke made two." Together they made their way back downstairs to the party. She

watched him hold the door for her, she passed him. For some reason, Ryan's scent was one she could remember, and it comforted her that some things didn't change. He

was always dependable, fun-loving Ryan. She felt a little feeling of awareness of him, but chalked it up to the fact that she knew Ryan wouldn't be trying to grope her bottom

even if he was completely soused.

* * *

Ryan watched her walk ahead of him. As they reached the bottom of the stairs he heard the cries of "Cake, champagne!" As the two of them passed the crowd, they began to 

lay out their goodies. Ryan could hear Chad telling Taylor to cut the cake for Ryan, Taylor was responding that if she got too close to the cake, she would want a piece.

Laughter spread as Chad gently pushed Taylor to the front. Silence was golden as Taylor read the cake, her tiny shriek echoed. Her hand reached for Chad's, as he held it he 

slid a ring onto her finger.

He looked at her, speaking softly. "Just for you."

The group erupted as she nodded yes, more congratulations were heard, ribald comments, and the girls oohed over Taylor's ring. Ryan noticed Gabriella didn't seem to be

breathing, he watched her move forward and congratulate Taylor and Chad. Strong love as theirs was not easy, but easily wanted, and for a moment Ryan wondered what gave

Gabriella pause, but as Chad hugged him for letting him propose to Taylor at his party, Ryan shook off his thoughts and joined in the celebrations.


End file.
